Raise Your Mouse - Be An Active Online Student
Posted by J.M. Striegel on July 4th, 2008
Think you can be an online student and not participate in the classroom discussions or readings? You should reconsider your position. Professors and instructors are taking advantage of the latest technology and using it to connect with their students online.
Webcams can help your instructor and fellow classmates “put a face with a name” and are used for everything from informal chats among classmates to formal class discussions and seminars. Online classes offer a great deal of flexibility, but some classes are taught in real-time settings online and you may need a high-speed internet connection to keep up with the video demands.
You’ll find that some instructors are more technologically savvy than others. Some include audio versions of their text lectures, allowing you the option to download the lecture onto a mobile device and continue to learn and study while you workout, run errands, or take a break from the computer. This method is especially beneficial for the student who learns best when hearing the material rather than reading it on their own.
Most online classes are conducted in a similar method to their traditional versions. There may be weekly readings that feature group discussion that requires the student to post their views/feedback in a specific chat area and respond to the comments of others. This participation shouldn’t be overlooked for it is often a large portion of your overall assessment and can become the deciding factor in a final grade.
The exchange of ideas within the walls (virtual or otherwise) of a classroom is nothing to shy away from. These discussions are essential to creating new ideas, increasing understanding of the subject, and improving critical thinking skills. Choosing to be an anonymous online student may not only be a thing of the past, but could very well hurt your grades and skill development.
Tags: class participation, distance learning, expectations, online classes, skill development, technology
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This entry was posted on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at 1:20 am and is filed under My Online Experience, Online Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
